Chapter 776 — A Hidden Oriole Seizes the Mandate of Heaven

When he had been struck back into Youdu, the infant girl upon his shoulder had fallen away, and the Heavenly Emperor held her in his palm. "Mortal feelings clouded my heart of the Dao.

I thank Your Majesty for waking me," said Tubo. The Heavenly Emperor smiled: "That you have come to your senses sets my heart at ease.

There is no need to call me Your Majesty. You and I have been fellow Daoists for many years; though you were born some years after me, we have always addressed each other as fellow Daoists, and there is no need to grow distant now that I sit upon the imperial throne.

" "I would not dare. " Tubo lowered his head: "In the past I did not understand my place; now I do. There is a difference between sovereign and subject, and Your Majesty sits upon the high throne.

I cannot be presumptuous.

" The Heavenly Emperor sighed: "You are being distant again. This cauldron is returned to you.

" He cast the Life-Slaying Cauldron down, and it fell into Youdu.

Tubo did not catch it, letting it fall upon the continent at his feet, and said: "This cauldron has taken too many lives.

I dare not accept it. " "When a sovereign bestows upon a subject, how would the subject dare refuse? " The Heavenly Emperor laughed: "Still, this cauldron is indeed of no use to you. Why not let me send some gods to station themselves in Youdu and keep the cauldron for you for the time being?

" Tubo assented: "I obey Your Majesty's command.

" His gaze still rested upon the Heavenly Emperor's palm, and the Heavenly Emperor handed the infant girl to an ancient god nearby to hold, laughing: "You are growing distant again.

" Tubo closed his eyes, and Shen Mu felt everything before him slowly sink into darkness; he could see no more of that soul-stirring scene.

"The Life-Slaying Cauldron's memory has finally ended.

" Shen Mu stared blankly.

In the Life-Slaying Cauldron, the demonic qi of Youdu had poured into his body, and he had felt himself about to burst, when suddenly he became Achou Tubo and watched that half-lifetime of experience through Achou's eyes. "In truth, when Tubo awakened in his fury, Achou had already died. " He touched his own face, and found his face wet.

Achou had died then; only the Tubo of vengeance remained.

Achou's child, that infant girl, had become a hostage of the Heavenly Court, a hold over Tubo. "She will live well; the Heavenly Court will not harm her.

Tubo's bloodline can continue.

" Shen Mu thought: "I wonder whether Tubo ever saw her again.

The Heavenly Emperor's methods are truly formidable; Yun Tianzun cannot contend with him, and I fear Hao Tianzun cannot either.

Then.

. .

is the Heavenly Emperor of the court beyond the realm the same man?

" He felt somewhat lost. The demonic qi in the Life-Slaying Cauldron no longer surged; it had grown utterly still.

Around Shen Mu great faces floated in the darkness, watching him, revolving slowly about him — silent and terrible. "Achou—" Suddenly one face flew before him, opened its mouth, and gave a strange cry.

Then all the other faces at once raised a shrill, mournful cry: "Achou—" Shen Mu snorted: "I am not Achou.

Achou Tubo could only awaken the power of Youdu after death; I need not. He had too many limits, too many bonds. I have none!

" "Achou!

" cried the faces of those who had died in the Life-Slaying Cauldron.

"I am far more handsome than Achou.

" Shen Mu's face flushed red, and he explained to the faces: "Look — I have no ox horns, and no markings on my face.

" "Little brother, what nonsense are you babbling?

" Shen Fengqing woke and saw Shen Mu speaking to those strange faces; taken aback, he said: "Have you gone mad? " Then he brightened again: "If you have gone mad, let me eat you! " Shen Mu snorted: "These faces call me Achou.

They take me for the suffering Tubo; I am merely arguing the point with them.

The Life-Slaying Cauldron has not killed us, most likely because the spirit of the cauldron believes we are Achou. Perhaps we can use the cauldron to get out. .

.

" He flew upward, and more and more faces in the darkness turned to look at them.

"Achou," they said.

Shen Mu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, while Shen Fengqing studied the faces with curiosity, then suddenly could not resist grabbing one and stuffing it into his mouth; he chewed twice and then spat it out with a ptui, ptui: "Inedible! No taste at all!

I would sooner eat dirt!

" Shen Mu asked curiously: "Brother, you have eaten dirt?

" "I have tried it.

It is not good," said the big-headed doll.

"Strange.

Why is the Life-Slaying Cauldron so quiet now?

" Shen Mu looked up at the river of stars in the sky; the Heaven-Blending Net was utterly still as well, without a trace of power. Outside the cauldron, Lu Li and the others stopped and looked at the great cauldron; seeing the stillness within, everyone let out a breath. "The Divine Son of Youdu actually held out so long before being refined to death — he truly lives up to the name of Divine Son. " Yan Qianzhong laughed: "He has been silent for some time now.

We can open the Life-Slaying Cauldron now, surely?

" Heavenly King Gao's eyes flickered: "I think what we ought to discuss now is who the Divine Son of Youdu belongs to!

" The hearts of Lu Li, Xuanming and the other two of the four commissioners went cold; then suddenly killing intent stirred in Lu Li: "These old ghosts have always wanted to contend with me. Why not take the chance, when we open this cauldron, to refine them to death with the Life-Slaying Cauldron! Refining them to death is far simpler than refining the Divine Son of Youdu!

" Just then the earth swelled up, and a gateway appeared; the gateway opened, and a light laugh came from within: "Better leave the Divine Son of Youdu to me!

" Boom— The Nether Sea turned upside down and came crashing down upon the Youdu magnates!

Within the Nether Sea a ghostly light wove through in a chain, striking down Heavenly King Gao, Yan Qianzhong and the other magnates alike!

Lu Li and the others were crushed beneath the Nether Sea, bones broken and sinews snapped, their hearts turning cold, as they watched that ghostly light strike down dozens of Youdu magnates in succession, extinguishing their primordial spirits; the magnates' primordial spirits dissolved, shattered into countless tiny soul particles, making the Nether Sea ever vaster, ever more unfathomable.

Whoosh— The Nether Sea poured into the gateway and vanished in a moment.

And the ghostly light circled around Lu Li and the others, but did not kill them.

"You are His Majesty's commissioners in Youdu.

If I killed you, would I not be committing rebellion?

" From the gateway a man of extraordinary beauty came walking toward them with his hands clasped behind his back, and the faces of Lu Li and the others changed drastically: "The Yin Son of Heaven! " The Yin Son of Heaven walked toward the Life-Slaying Cauldron, his heart ablaze, and laughed: "The Divine Son of Youdu shall finally be mine! Tubo's power — my power.

. .

" His palm came to rest upon the Heaven-Blending Net; he could not help but tremble, and slowly lifted the Heaven-Blending Net.